The University of Central Florida  first fielded a varsity football team  in 1979, and ascended to Division I–A, now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision  (FBS), in 1996. The Knights entered an Automatic Qualifying conference  in 2013, and won the program's first  major bowl game . In 1987 , Ted Wilson  became the first Knight to be selected in an NFL Draft  when he was selected in the tenth round by the Washington Redskins . As of 2025, (52) UCF Knights have been drafted into the National Football League , including four first round selections. The highest a UCF player has been drafted is third overall in 2014 , when quarterback  Blake Bortles  was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars .
Key 
Selections 
Blake Bortles  was drafted 3rd overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2014 NFL DraftBrandon Marshall  was drafted 120th overall by the Denver Broncos in the 2006 NFL Draft
Draft year
 
Round
 
Overall
 
Player name
 
NFL team
 
Position
 
Notes
  
1987 
10
 
274
 
Ted Wilson [ 1] Washington Redskins 
WR
 
—
  
12
 
330
 
Elgin Davis New England Patriots 
RB
 
—
  
1988 
3
 
65
 
Bernard Ford Buffalo Bills 
WR
 
—
  
5
 
136
 
Corris Ervin [ 2] Denver Broncos 
DB
 
—
  
1991 
9
 
225
 
Raymond Irvin Cleveland Browns 
DB
 
—
  
9
 
240
 
Shawn Jefferson Houston Oilers 
WR
 
—
  
1992 
3
 
66
 
Bob Spitulski Seattle Seahawks 
LB
 
—
  
1993 
3
 
71
 
Rick Hamilton Washington Redskins 
LB
 
—
  
1995 
3
 
72
 
Greg Jefferson Philadelphia Eagles 
DE
 
—
  
1996 
5
 
142
 
Marquette Smith Carolina Panthers 
RB
 
—
  
1999 
1
 
11
 
Daunte Culpepper Minnesota Vikings 
QB
 
Pro Bowl (2000 , 2003 , 2004 )
  
4
 
96
 
Paul Miranda Indianapolis Colts 
DB
 
—
  
2000 
7
 
242
 
Charles Lee Green Bay Packers 
WR
 
—
  
2002 
2
 
64
 
Travis Fisher St. Louis Rams 
DB
 
—
  
2003 
4
 
120
 
Asante Samuel New England Patriots 
DB
 
Pro Bowl (2008 , 2009 , 2010 , 2011 )XXXVIII , XXXIX )
  
5
 
167
 
Doug Gabriel Oakland Raiders 
WR
 
—
  
7
 
250
 
Mike Mabry Baltimore Ravens 
C
 
—
  
7
 
259
 
Elton Patterson Cincinnati Bengals 
DE
 
—
  
2004 
7
 
232
 
Michael Gaines Carolina Panthers 
TE
 
—
  
2006 
4
 
119
 
Brandon Marshall Denver Broncos 
WR
 
Pro Bowl (2008 , 2009 , 2011 , 2012 , 2013 , 2015 )
  
2007 
3
 
79
 
Mike Sims-Walker Jacksonville Jaguars 
WR
 
—
  
2008 
3
 
64
 
Kevin Smith Detroit Lions 
RB
 
—
  
4
 
135
 
Josh Sitton Green Bay Packers 
G
 
Pro Bowl (2012 , 2014 , 2015 , 2016 )XLV )
  
7
 
239
 
Mike Merritt Kansas City Chiefs 
TE
 
—
  
2009 
5
 
168
 
Joe Burnett Pittsburgh Steelers 
DB
 
—
  
2010 
2
 
41
 
Torell Troup Buffalo Bills 
DT
 
—
  
2011 
3
 
85
 
Jah Reid Baltimore Ravens 
OT
 
Super Bowl Champion (XLVII )
  
7
 
211
 
Bruce Miller San Francisco 49ers 
LB
 
—
  
2012 
3
 
66
 
Josh Robinson Minnesota Vikings 
DB
 
—
  
2013 
6
 
181
 
Latavius Murray Oakland Raiders 
RB
 
Pro Bowl (2015 )
  
7
 
243
 
Kemal Ishmael Atlanta Falcons 
DB
 
—
  
2014 
1
 
3
 
Blake Bortles Jacksonville Jaguars 
QB
 
—
  
7
 
222
 
Storm Johnson Jacksonville Jaguars 
RB
 
—
  
2015 
1
 
26
 
Breshad Perriman Baltimore Ravens 
WR
 
—
  
4
 
109
 
Clayton Geathers Indianapolis Colts 
DB
 
—
  
2017 
3
 
90
 
Shaquill Griffin Seattle Seahawks 
DB
 
Pro Bowl (2019 )
  
2018 
1
 
30
 
Mike Hughes Minnesota Vikings 
DB
 
—
  
3
 
91
 
Tre'Quan Smith New Orleans Saints 
WR
 
—
  
3
 
98
 
Jordan Akins Houston Texans 
TE
 
—
  
5
 
141
 
Shaquem Griffin Seattle Seahawks 
LB
 
—
  
2019 
2
 
58
 
Trysten Hill 
Dallas Cowboys 
DT
 
—
  
2020 
4
 
128
 
Gabe Davis 
Buffalo Bills 
WR
 
—
  
2021 
2
 
40
 
Richie Grant 
Atlanta Falcons 
DB
 
—
  
3
 
71
 
Aaron Robinson 
New York Giants 
DB
 
—
  
4
 
141
 
Jacob Harris 
Los Angeles Rams 
WR
 
—
  
6
 
223
 
Tay Gowan 
Arizona Cardinals 
DB
 
—
  
7
 
242
 
Tre Nixon 
New England Patriots 
WR
 
—
  
2022 
6
 
220
 
Kalia Davis 
San Francisco 49ers 
DT
 
—
  
2024 
4
 
110
 
Javon Baker 
New England Patriots 
WR
 
—
  
6
 
204
 
Tylan Grable 
Buffalo Bills 
T
 
—
  
2025 
2
 
60
 
RJ Harvey 
Denver Broncos 
RB
 
—
  
5
 
145
 
Mac McWilliams 
Philadelphia Eagles 
CB
 
—
  
References 
Venues Bowls & rivalries Culture & lore People Seasons National championship seasons in bold